Steam separator



Feb. 4, 1969 L. J. ELLIOTT 3,425,523

' STEAM SEPARATOR Filed Aug. 9, 1965 7 Sheet I NVEN TOR.

LOU/5 1/. 5.1.4 (DTT BY Feb. 4, 1969 L. J. ELLIOTT 3, 5mm SEPARATOR Filed Aug. 9. 1965 Sheet 2 of 2 0 o 0 ob o 0 e 0 o o 0 o DOOOQQD 34 39 35- r/cs. 5 3 29 INVENTOR. 1. 00/5 J. ELLIOTT -Ll 4 I BY United States Patent 3,425,623 STEAM SEPARATOR Louis J. Elliott, Encinitas, Calif., assignor to Autosearch, Inc., Encinitas, Califl, a corporation of Nevada Filed Aug. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 478,231 US. Cl. 237-9 Int. Cl. F24d 1/00; Gd 16/12; F16t 1/04 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a method of, apparatus for and a system for returning condensate of vapor from a high pressure and high temperature conduit to a relatively low pressure and low temperature conduit.

The method consists of accumulating the condensate from the high pressure and high temperature conduit in a container and regulating the flow from said container to the relatively low pressure and low temperature conduit through a valve which is controlled by the level of the liquid in the container.

Essentially the device comprises a container having an inlet and elongated outlet, a strap extending along the elongated outlet adapted to variably engage the outlet and means for controlling the extent of that engagement.

The system employs a condensible fluid and comprises a high pressure and high temperature vapor side and a low pressure and low temperature liquid side. Said system also comprises means for conducting condensate from the vapor side to the liquid side, which means includes a closed conduit means, including a tank having an inlet connected to the vapor side and an outlet connected to the liquid side, a valve controlling the flow from the tank, and a float in the tank for controlling the valve.

Other features and the advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the controller;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the controller taken along 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the top of the valve;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of the controller looking in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 1, showing an end of the valve;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic drawing of a system employing the controller.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIG. 5 illustrates how the controller 11 may be employed to remove the condensate from the high pressure steam line 13 and transfer said condensate directly to the low pressure return line 15. The high pressure steam generated by the boiler 17 is transmitted through the vapor line 13 and during such transmission said steam is cooled causing a portion of it to condense. This condensate may be collected in the controller 11 and the flow is controlled from said controller in such a manner that only condensate is permitted to pass to the return line 15.

The return line 15 may be utilized to return the condensate accumulated during transmission of the steam to the Working unit 19, as well as to return the working fluid after it has passed through the working unit 19.

A multiplicity of controllers 11 may be installed in a steam system, as shown in FIG. 5, thus permitting the condensate to be removed from the steam line 13 as frequentl as desirable throughout the length of said line.

FIG. 1 illustrates preferred embodiment of the controller of the present invention. The container 20 is utilized to collect the liquid condensing out of the vapor carried in the high pressure and high temperature vapor conduit 13. This condensate enters through the container inlet 21 and is diverted from impinging directly on the float 23 by the batfle 25 which baffle is affixed to the top of the container by the fasteners 27.

The float 23 is a hollow member with a cross-section similar tothat of the container 20, but somewhat smaller, thus permitting it to be guided throughout its longitudinal movement by the walls of said container. The float acts upon the resilient strap 29 via the connecting means 31 which connecting means includes an elongated member 33 connected to a U shaped member 34 adapted to retain a pair of rollers 35 and 37, said rollers being spaced to permitthe strap to pass freely between them. The strap 29 includes an enlarged end 39 adapted to engage the rollers 35 and 37 when the controller is in upper extreme position, thus preventing the strap 29 from becoming disengaged from the connecting means 31 and providing a lost-motion connection between the strap and the float.

In the preferred embodiment, the elongated outlet 41 is in the form of a series of holes 43 spaced longitudinally on a curved surface 45 included in the container 20. The strap 29 is affixed, on one end 47, to the above mentioned curved surface in such a manner that the remainder of the strap extends over the elongated outlet 41 with the other end engaging the connecting means 31.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the container 20 is void of liquid, the weight of the float 23 acts through the connecting means 31, urging the resilient strap 29 downwardly, causing it to engage the outlet 41. The sealing action resulting from this engagement is improved by the action of the pressure differential, between the high pressure conduit 13 and the low pressure conduit 15, across the strap 29. Said pressure differential acts to urge the strap in closer engagement with the sealing surface around the outlet 41.

The sealing action is even further improved when the liquid level in the container 20 has risen sufficiently to submerge the strap 29 thus providing an ambient fluid of relatively low viscosity.

When the liquid level in the container 20 has risen to engage the float 23 sufliciently to cause it to act through the connecting means 31, the buoyant force will tend to urge a small portion of the strap 29 from the outlet 41. The portion of the strap acted upon should be small enough so that the buoyant force available from a practically sized float 23 will be suflicient to overcome the force acting downwardly on said portion as a result of the pressure differential between the high and the low pressure conduits 13 and 15, respectively. In the preferred embodiment this effect is accomplished by sizing and spacing the outlet holes 43 such that said sizing and spacing, in combination with the curvature of the curved surface 45, permits the buoyant force to act against only a small portion of force resulting from the differential pressure across the strap 29.

From the above it will be apparent that this invention provides a simple and reliable means for controlling a relatively steady condensate flow rate from a high pressure vapor conduit to a low pressure liquid conduit, thus assuring a minimum amount of system disturbance and temperature change of the condensate.

While the form of embodiment herein. shown and described, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms may be adopted falling within the scope of the claims that follow.

I claim:

1. In a steam system of the type including a boiler, a work load connected in series circuit relationship with the boiler through a high pressure and high temperature conduit and a relatively low pressure and low temperature conduit, the steps in the method of returning condensate of vapor from the high pressure and high temperature conduit to the relatively low pressure and low temperature conduit which steps consist in:

(-A) accumulating the condensate flowing from the high pressure and high temperature conduit in a container which is connected in parallel circuit relationship with the work load and having an inlet connected with the high pressure and high temperature conduit and an outlet connected directly with the low pressure and low temperature conduit and forming the sole means for conducting fluid from the container to low pressure and low temperature conduit;

(B) and preventing the flow of fluid from the container through a valve until a predetermined level of condensate is attained in the container;

(C) and thereafter releasing only the condensate directly to the low pressure and low temperature conduit at a rate substantially commensurate with the rate of ingress of condensate to the container.

2. A controller for the flow of fluid comprising in combination:

(A) a container having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet being elongated;

(B) a strap extending along the elongated outlet and movable from and movable into engagement with the outlet for opening and closing, respectively, said outlet;

(C) and means for moving the strap into engagement with and out of engagement with said outlet, said means including:

(1) a float in the container; (2) a lost-motion connection between the float and the strap.

3. A system employing a condensible fluid, comprising in combination:

(A) a closed circuit including:

(1) a boiler;

(2) a work load;

(3) a high pressure and high temperature conduit connecting the boiler with the work load;

(4) and a relatively low pressure and low temperature conduit connecting the work load with boiler;

(B) means for conducting condensate from the first mentioned conduit to the second mentioned conduit including:

(1) closed conduit means, including a tank connected in parallel circuit relationship with the work load and having a liquid inlet connected with the high pressure conduit and a liquid outlet connected with the low pressure conduit and providing the sole means for conducting fluid from the tank,

(2) a valve for controlling the flow of liquid from the tank through said outlet,

(3) a float in the tank,

(4) and means for preventing the flow of condensate from the tank through said outlet until a predetermined level of condensate is attained in the tank, and thereafter releasing the condensate at a rate substantially commensurate with the rate of ingress of condensate to the container, said last means including:

(a) a lost-motion connection between the valve and the float.

4. A controller as defined in claim 2, characterized in that the end of the strap (B) includes an enlarged end, and further characterized in that the means (C) includes:

(C) (3) means movable upwardly with the float adapted to engage the enlarged end of the strap and providing a guide for the strap.

5. A controller as defined in claim 4 characterized in that the last mentioned means (C) (3) comprises a pair of rollers spaced from one another for receiving the strap, said space being narrower than the width of the enlarged end of the strap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 720,200 2/1903 Watts 137194 863,212 8/1907 Paul 13'7-192 X 1,011,103 12/1911 Bartlett 137192 1,113,207 10/1914 Durant 137-192 2,180,172 11/1939 Share. 2,216,000 9/1940 Crawford 137192 X 3,021,861 2/1962 Billeter 137l92 FOREIGN PATENTS 897,639 11/1953 Germany.

EDWARD D. MICHAEL, Primary Exal'nilzcr.

US. Cl. X.R. 

